Steven Gerrard is the latest star name to head to Saudi Arabia as he bids to revive his managerial career.
The former Liverpool captain has been out of work since October after being dismissed at Aston Villa and the 43-year-old joins a growing list of top talent heading to the Middle East.
Indeed, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy are just a few who have made the switch this summer and more high-profile transfers are expected.
Gerrard initially rejected an approach from Al Ettifaq last month but after resuming talks with the club’s hierarchy he agreed to take over.
His decision comes as somewhat of a surprise given his recent links with vacancies in England and Gerrard’s ties with former club Liverpool left many predicting he would one day succeed Jurgen Klopp at the end of his tenure.
A successful spell in charge of Rangers only enhanced those claims as Gerrard wrestled back Celtic’s control by winning the Scottish Premiership title two years ago without losing a single league match.
Aston Villa pounced to snap up Gerrard and the stars were aligning with the midfielder’s managerial reputation continuing to grow.
However, his first full season in charge yielded just two wins from the opening 12 games and Gerrard was duly sacked by October.
His latest challenge is a different proposition entirely as Al Ettifaq look to improve on last season’s seventh place finish in the Saudi Pro League.
